


Dog Days

by sydiy5bea



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Dog-fic, F/M, Fluff and feels all around, because it needed to happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-07-29 12:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7685440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sydiy5bea/pseuds/sydiy5bea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Family times from the dog's point of view.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Shelter

The golden puppy playfully pokes her brothers and sisters with her nose, but they just shrugged her off, still trying to sleep. Undiscouraged, she trots over to the bright tennis ball in the corner of the pen.

She and her siblings had been dropped off only a week ago. They had been taken from a puppy mill after the owner got busted. Now, they're doing time with the Humane Animal Society, waiting for someone to adopt them.

Many people walked up and down the aisles daily, so the little golden puppy continued to play with her ball as people stopped to ooh and aw over her littermates. Hands would reach in a take a sibling out to examine or play with. Sometimes they would be placed back in the pen, sometimes they wouldn't. But the golden puppy didn't notice. Her attention was happily absorbed by her ball.

About midday, she stops jumping around to take a break, laying against the wall and gnawing on her ball. She perks up at the sound of two men talking. The shelter gets a lot of women and children, so this is something out of the ordinary.

"You're sure Elena said this was okay?" says one.

"Yes, I'm sure," sighs the other. "I checked and double checked. She said it was fine, but we should be the ones to pick it out because it's our gift."

"Okay, so which one? Nathan loves dogs, sure, but there's so many different kinds. He'd never shown a particular preference to one breed, has he?"

"No, but I know he likes the bigger ones. The ones that will run around with him all day."

"Right, that would make sense."

The puppy cocks it's head as the men make their way over to her pen. They're similar in many ways: pale skin, wandering eyes, and smell of smoke. The main difference is their age. The older one has a patch of hair above his lip, and the younger has multiple splotches of dark skin on his neck.

Curiosity has the puppy sniffing her way closer to the men. The older one notices her first and smiles, reaching a hand over the fence so she can sniff. "Hey there," he chuckles, feeling her wet nose graze his hand. Her tail starts to wag as soon as his fingers begin scratching her behind the ears.

"Well, it's definitely cute enough for him," the younger one says. "Isn't it kind of small?"

"First of all, she's a puppy. She'll grow bigger, dumb ass. Secondly, she's a SHE, not an it."

"How do you know?"

The older man's hand stops scratching under the puppy's chin to lift her two front paws off the ground. The younger one looks at her underside and says, "Ah. I see."

Her feet are returned to the ground, and she runs to get her ball. Maybe they'll play with me, she thinks to herself. She drops it at the base of the fence and bounds away playfully.

"Aw, look, Victor. She wants to play." The younger man picks up the (slimy) tennis ball and tosses it just behind the puppy. She runs to retrieve the ball then give it back to the man with the black splotches.

He throws the ball a few more times while the older man wanders off for a minute. The older man returns with a woman that works at the shelter. She reaches in and catches the puppy before she can get the ball back.

"That was fast," the younger man remarks over the chosen puppy's barking.

"Yeah, well... The way you two were playing just then reminded me of how you and your brother used to play."

While they talk, the woman manages to snap a collar around the puppy's neck and attach a leash, even as she barks and squirms around. The woman is finally forced to put the puppy down after she kicks a hind-paw into the woman's face. "She's a fiesty one," the worker laughs. "You sure you want her? She's going to be a lot of work. It's not going to be easy."

"Nothing worthwhile is," the older man smiles, reaching into the pen for the chewed up tennis ball. He rests the ball on the palm of his hand then hovers it before the puppy. She sniffs experimentally before happily barking and picking up the ball, tail wagging all the while. The man chuckles and pats her head. "She's definitely the one."


	2. A Name

"Goddamn it!" yells the old smoky man from the other room. The puppy flinches and is forced to hop off the couch when the young smoky man moves his legs out from under her head.

"What is it, Victor?" he yells, moving into the next room. The puppy trails closely at his heels. She loves her new owners. They pretty much let her roam free. Well, free until she...

"She shit on my bed, Sam!"

"She's a puppy, that's what she does." The younger man picks up the offending puppy and scratches her behind the ear.

The old man sighs and points a finger towards the pair. "One of you better clean this up before Nate gets here. And since only one of you has opposable thumbs, you'd better start cleaning."

"Hey, it's your apartment! You clean it."

"Maybe reminding you of the fact that you've been crashing here in between apartments for FREE for three months might change your mind."

"Nah, I'm good. Me and Shapoopy here are gonna watch the rest of Rocky."

"Goddamn Drakes..." the old man grumbles as the puppy is carried out of the room.

"Don't worry, girly. I won't let him ruin our day."

The puppy barks in agreement then licks his face.

"Your new owner's coming to pick you up tonight. You're his Christmas present. He's my brother, you see. He's always wanted a dog. He's going to love you. He and his daughter. And you remember his wife, right? She came to visit a few days ago."

"Sam, who are you talking to?" Oldy asks.

"The dog."

"She doesn't understand you."

"Yes, she does. Watch, I've been teaching her. Hey, girly! Look over here, girl!"

The puppy fixes her eyes on the man making all the noise, ears perked.

"Speak! Bark! Come on! Speak, girl!"

She just stares, tongue hanging out of her mouth. Her tail painfully beats against his leg.

"Well, she did it before," he mutters, affectionately rubbing the top of her head.

"Uh-huh." Oldy's interrupted by a knocking at the door. "I'll get it. Wouldn't want you to exert yourself."

"Yeah, yeah," Young sighs, rolling the puppy over to rub her belly.

The puppy perks her ears at the sound of a new voice. She wiggles out of Young's hands and onto the floor. She pokes her head around the corner of the couch to observe the visitor. It's another man with pale skin, and although he doesn't smell like smoke, he seems to be very friendly towards Oldy.

They hug, and the new guy asks, "So why do I have to drive you guys again? Elena said something about a surprise, and you know I hate surprises."

"Oh, trust me. The think you'll like this surprise."

The golden puppy hasn't been the center of attention for nearly a minute, and she decides that she needs to fix that immediately. She barks and sprints towards the new comer.

The non-smoker gasps at the sight and crouches down to her level. "You got a dog?! Oh my god!"

She jumps against the new comer and earnestly wags her tail, barking and licking his face to show how happy she is. Her excitement is matched only by the man laughing and rubbing her behind the ears.

"He's adorable! I didn't think you and Sam had it in you to adopt a little ball of fur. Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" Newby coos, picking up the puppy and hugging her close.

"It's a SHE, Nathan," explains Young. "She doesn't have a dick."

"Sam," scolds Oldy. He then turns his attention to Newby. "Yes, she's a she. And she's not ours. She's yours."

"Wha-, mine?! You got me a PUPPY?!"

"We both did," Young says. "We know how much you've always wanted a dog."

"I've already checked with Elena, and she's cool with it," Oldy says. "Merry Christmas, kid."

"Oh my god, I love you guys so much," Newby says. He hugs the other two as well as he can while holding the dog. "So what's her name?"

"She doesn't have one yet. It's up to you, she's your dog," Oldy says.

Newby thinks, looking at the newest addition of his patchwork family. "Well... Sully..." He starts with a mischievous smirk.

"Uh-oh," Oldy mutters.

"Do you remember how you said you would buy me a dog? In Madagascar?"

"Yes."

"And do you remember how I promised I would name it after you?

"Yes, but she's a girl. Can't name her Victor if she's a girl."

"Aw, shoot."

"You could always name her Victoria," Young shrugs.

Oldy glares at Young as Newby happily laughs, "Yes! Victoria! Vicky for short."

The puppy, Victoria, barks in agreement. She doesn't quite understand the words, but she understands their meaning. She understands that she now belongs to a family, one that will love her as much she loves them.


	3. Man's Best Friend

Vicky yawns and adjusts her position in her kennel. It's entirely too early to be up and about in her opinion. Newby stayed the night with Oldy and Young. Now all three plus a sleepy Vicky were on some kind of early morning trip. Newby sat in the back seat next to Vicky's kennel, one arm protectively draped over it.

"Turn here, Sully," Newby says. Vicky huffs in annoyance at the deep baritone resonating through the kennel walls.

"I know, Nate," Oldy sighs, making the car tick again.

"Just making sure. You weren't turning."

"Nate, I will turn this car around if you're not careful."

"Whiny..." Newby mumbles. He ducks his head down in front of the metal grate. "He's whiny, isn't he Vicky? He's such a whiner." He opens the kennel and reaches in to pull his puppy out. Vicky merely yawns again, allowing him to hold her simply because she doesn't want to expend the effort to stop him. "You're not a whiner, are you girly? You're a good puppy."

She stretches herself against his body as well as she can to wake herself up. Once she's done, she barks twice and licks his face. "Aw, I love you too, Vicky," Newby says, then kisses the top of her head.

Vicky sniffs her way towards the window as the car pulls to a stop at a red light. The car next to their's honks its horn, startling Vicky. After a moment to compose herself, she leaps up to the window and barks furiously at the loud car to scare off the threat. "Hey, hey, it's okay, Vicky. It's okay," Newby says, putting his arms around her torso and pulling her back. "The car can't do anything to you. It's okay."

Vicky calms for a moment, gazing up at Newby's face. She licks his nose then strains against his arms towards the window. Newby gasps, keeping a tight grip on his dog. "Sully, can I open the window? I think Vicky wants to stick her face out to catch the wind."

"Only a little. I don't want her falling out."

"I'll hold her, don't worry."

Vicky stills when the window rolls down all by itself. She sniffs the air once more when a breeze rushes past her nose. Newby hefts her up a little higher to get her nose closer to the crack in the window. She squeaks when a gust blows through her fur, trying to scramble away from the scary unknown.

"No, it's okay, Vicky," Newby whispers. "I've got you. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

Vicky watches Oldy and Young share a knowing look at the front of the vehicle. She looks up at her new friend and meets the gaze of a man asking for her trust. There's sincerity in his eyes. Perhaps that's why she allows him to hold her so close to the open window. She barks her happiness and manically licks his face when he pulls her back towards his chest.


	4. Christmas Day

"Stay still, Vicky," says Newby's mate. She's in the process of tying a big, red bow on Vicky's collar. The task is made much more difficult due to the fact that the puppy is continually squirming.

"Is she ready?" whispers Newby from the doorway.

"Not yet. It seems Sully and Sam picked out the puppy with ADHD." She cinches the final loop and sighs. "There. She's all dolled up."

"Alright, I'll take her. Come on, girly. Let's go meet Cassie."

Out in the next room, Oldy and Young stand at the base of the stairs. "Ready, kid?" Oldy asks.

"You know it."

Newby carries Vicky up the stairs behind Oldy and Young. He allows the smokey men to enter the first. The puppy perks her ears as she hears the sound of another new voice. She thought she detected a new human smell when she entered the house, but all the other new stuff pulled her attention away from that fact.

"Morning, darling," says a muffled Oldy.

"Merry Christmas," adds Young.

"Sully! Sam!" squeals a high pitched human. Another curious sniff tells Vicky that the new person is female, but Newby's mate doesn't have that high of a voice. She cocks her head as the new voice continues. "You're here! Did Santa bring you?"

"No, Santa didn't bring us. But we did bring you a big present."

"A present?!"

"Of course. Can you guess what it is?"

"Um... a necklace?"

"No."

"A bracelet?"

"It's not jewelry."

"Is it a bike?"

"Sweetheart, you've got to think bigger."

"That's our cue," Newby whispers, adjusting his grip on Vicky just slightly. Vicky leads with her nose into the room holding the new person. Her tail starts to wag as soon as her eyes light on the little girl. "Merry Christmas, Cassie!" booms Newby.

The little girl's eyes widen and her arms shoot out, reaching for the dog. "Puppy!" she yells, causing Vicky to strain even harder against Newby's arms.

"This is Victoria," Newby says, dropping the puppy onto the bed. Vicky immediately scrambles over the sheets to bark at and lick the little girl. "Vicky for short."

"Aw, she's cute," the girl giggles, the puppy's tongue tickling her. She finally gets her little arms around the squirming Vicky to hug her close. "Thank you so much! I love her!"

"Me too, sweetie," Newby says, bending down to press a kiss to the little girl's head. "Me too."

"What'd you say we go downstairs and open the rest of your presents, huh?" Young asks, rubbing Little's head.

"Yeah! Come on Vicky."

The puppy follows Little closely as she thunders down the stairs to the glittering tree in the middle of the room. "Slow down, Cassie," scolds Newby's mate. "You sound like a herd of elephants."

"But Mommy, it's Christmas," Little pouts.

"Christmas isn't an excuse to break my stairs."

"Mommy, look what Sully and Sam got me!"

"Wow, a puppy. Did you say thank you?"

"Yes."

"That's my girl. Let's eat breakfast before opening presents."

"But Sam said-"

"Sam's not your mother. Now, follow me." Little sighs and drags her feet all the way into the next room. "I've got breakfast for you too, Vicky!" Lady calls from the doorway.

The puppy perks up at the use of her name. She turns around as Oldy, Young, and Newby descend the steps. They smile and shoo her into the room where Little disappeared. Lady scoops Vicky up and places her in front of two silver bowls sitting on the floor. One smells like food, and the other is filled with water.

Although she's hungry, Vicky leaves her bowls in search of the better smelling food that the humans are eating. Little notices the puppy first and drops some of her meal for her new friend. Vicky quickly licks the floor clean then goes in search of more food. She nuzzles Newby's hand, and he drops a piece of salty meat.

Next, she sits beside Oldy and whimpers, making her eyes bigger. He begrudgingly hands over a piece of bread. She tries the same approach with Young, but he ignores her. So she resorts to sitting on his feet until he gives in.

Only Lady doesn't give in. Vicky tries everything. She whines, whimpers, and even paws her legs, but Lady doesn't budge. So Vicky goes back to sitting next to Little. She's a little messy, so she drops food both accidentally and purposely.

After eating, they all move into the room with the tree. The humans pass each other colorful boxes to open and be excited about what's inside. Vicky doesn't understand what's going on, but she barks and wags her tail at every excited shout.

Lady makes up for not giving the puppy any of her food by giving her a squeaky toy and a brand new tennis ball. Vicky does a few laps around the room then jumps on Lady to give her kisses.

After all the excitement is over, Little chases Vicky outside to toss the new tennis ball around. Later in the day, Oldy and Young get in the car to leave. Confused, Vicky tries to leave with them, but Newby collects her in her arms. "Don't worry, girly. They'll be back. You're staying with us. It's okay," he says, stroking her head to soothe her. She nuzzles his arm then reaches up to lick his face. "Love you too, Vicky."


	5. First Night

"Okay, stay," Newby says, holding his hands up palms out. "This is your bed. You sleep here, okay?"

Vicky cocks her head, staring at him. A few seconds later, she springs out of the plush spot on the floor happily wagging her tail.

Newby sighs and rubs his face. "She'll figure it out. Come on, Cass. Let's give her some space."

"Okay, Daddy. Let me give her a hug before bed."

"Make it quick," Newby yawns.

"Night night, Vicky. I'll see you in the morning."

The puppy licks her face as Little hugs her around the neck.

"Okay, off to bed, sweetie."

Vicky tries to follow Newby and Little to the door, but they stop her by the door. "Stay, girl."

The door closes, leaving Vicky alone in the dark. She sits for a second in silent confusion, tail hesitantly wagging. Is this a new game? Are they going to surprise her? She waits a few more seconds before completely stilling. Feeling lonely for the first time in her life, she sniffs, placing her front paws on the door. When nothing happens, she scratches at the door and whines. She grows louder with each passing minute. After about 15 minutes, the whines become cries. She's so scared.

Vicky freezes at the sound of the door nob rattling. Someone came back! She barks and jumps as the door opens. "Shhhhh!" hisses Little. "We don't want to wake up Mom and Dad."

After some mandatory licks, Little takes Vicky by the collar and leads her towards the stairs. Vicky's toes click against the hardwood floor. After some slipping on the stairs, Little helps the puppy by sort of carrying her as far as she can. She even has to help Vicky up onto her bed.

Little pats the bed beside her. "Come on, girl," she whispers. "I won't make you sleep by yourself."

Vicky walks in a circle around her spot a few times before settling next to the girl. The dog yawns and lays her head on one of the pink pillows that decorate the bed. Little turns to face her new friend. Vicky licks her nose to show her gratitude, making the girl giggle.

Not a minute later, someone softly knocks on the door. "Cassie?" mumbles a familiar voice.

Excited, Vicky bolts to her feet, barking, tail wagging. He came back for her, too!

Her excitement turns to fear as he puts had hands around her to pick her up. She kicks her paws and wiggles out of his grasp. She whines when he picks her up once more. "Daddy, stop! You're scaring her!" Little protests.

"Sweetheart, she has to learn to sleep by herself. She can't sleep with you."

"But she was crying! She was scared."

Vicky strains again and pops out of his hands once more. She pads over to Little's outstretched arms. She tucks her head under the little girl's chin, whimpering.

"Cassie-"

"Please let her stay, Daddy."

He sighs, wiping a hand over her face. "Just for tonight, okay?"

"Yes, Daddy! Yay! Did you hear that Vicky? You can sleep here! We'll work on the 'just for tonight' part tomorrow."

Vicky barks her agreement.

"Goodnight, Cass. Night, Vicky. Love you." Newby bends down to kiss Little's then Vicky's head. "See you in the morning."


	6. Camping

"We're going on a tri-ip. We're going on a tri-ip," chants Little. She bends over to look through the kennel's metal grate. "Are you ready for this Vicky?"

The one year old puppy perks up her ears, tail wagging at the sound of her name. She's not a big fan of car trips, but sitting next to Little makes it all better. She makes Vicky feel calmer.

When they arrive, the humans keep Vicky in the kennel until they finish building their own kennel out in the middle of woods on the edge of a lot of water. Newby opens the gate, and Vicky takes off running towards the water. "Vicky, wait!" calls Little.

Vicky huffs in frustration, but obediently slows to wait for the girl to catch up. Together, they make it to the water, and it only takes about three seconds for them both to be soaked.

"Girls, it's only an hour until sunset. I want you out of the water by then," Lady orders from the shore, hands on her hips, a worried expression on her face.

"Yes, Mom," answers Little.

Vicky jumps around, splashing her way through the water. The little girl plays along, sticking close to her mother waiting on the shore. Vicky would teasingly come closer to Little, then the girl would splash her with water, eliciting excited yelps from the dog.

Later that night, the four members of the Drake family relax around the fire Newby had built. They had already ate dinner, so now the humans are holding sticks with little, white, squishy things on the tips. Careful experimentation had made Vicky very scared of the fire (it singed her tender nose), so she's rather confused as to why her humans were holding the sticks in the horribly terrifying fire. They then take the squishy bit and put it between two crackers. Vicky sniffs at Newby's hand, and he gives her one of his crackers. "No chocolate for you, missy. It's not good for puppies," he says.

"Daddy, can you tell a story like you did last time?" Little asks, chocolate all around her lips.

"Nothing scary, Nate," Lady warns. "We don't want nightmares like last time, right baby?" She pulls Little into her lap and presses a kiss to the top of her head.

"I guess. Just make it good."

"Okay, let's see..." Newby sighs, tapping his chin. "A story..."

"A good story," Little interjects.

"Right, a good story..." While he thinks, he puts a hand on Vicky's head and scratches her behind the ear. "Alright, I got one. Ready?"

"Born ready," she says, an excited gleam in her eye.

"Okay, once upon a time..."

Vicky yawns and lays her head on her paws. Playing in the water really wore her out. She must have fallen asleep because she doesn't remember what happens in the story. Newby leads Vicky into the makeshift kennel as Lady carries Little in behind them. The dog lays beside the little girl in her plastic wrap. Newby and Lady share a plastic wrap after making sure Little was comfortable.

The next morning brings a very long walkthrough the forest. Vicky barks at all the squirrels and birds that happen to flit past her field of view. The family finds it amusing when she huffs in defeat when her prey eventually runs out of reach.

Once back at the large kennel, the older humans make Little rest for a bit. While Lady watches over Little, Newby tosses the tennis ball around with the dog. Eventually, Vicky started getting a little slow with returning the ball, stopping to yawn or lay down for a moment. Newby sees the signs of her fatigue and scoops her up with some effort. "You're not as light as you used to be," he grunts, carrying her back to the large kennel. She licks his face.

Vicky is awoken later in the day when Little wakes up. Her tail immediately starts to wag as the little girl runs over to her. "Vicky! Dad said we can go back to the lake. Come on, let's go!"

Little's excitement spurs Vicky into action. She follows the little girl until she realizes where they're going, then bounds ahead of Little straight into the water. Vicky paddles out further into the water, but Little calls her back. "Vicky, I can't swim. Mom and Dad said that I had to stay where my feet could touch the ground."

Vicky cocks her head to the side curiously. She turns around and steps a bit further through the water, then pauses to see if Little would follow.

"Vicky, come back," she says with a frown on her face.

The dog perks her ears at her name, but stays where she is.

"Vicky, please?"

She wags her tail just above the water line, then wades back through the water to lick Little's face.

Little giggles and pats her head. "Good girl."

Vicky licks her hand, then takes a step back deeper into the water, tail still wagging. Little takes a step closer and is rewarded with more licks. The dog repeats the process and takes another step back. Little follows.

They make it all the way to where the water is at Little's chest. Vicky has to swim to keep her head above the water. She flicks water at her dog playfully. Vicky snorts, then lightly bumps into Little with her nose. The little battle quickly escalates.

It's all good fun until Vicky bumps Little a little too hard. She takes a step back to catch her balance but slips, and her head disappears underwater. Vicky's ears flatten against her head in surprise. Where'd her friend go? She's alerted to Little's presence by the bubbles and little waves. She barks, but no response. Worried, she ducks her head underwater and is quickly alerted to Little's distress.

Vicky picks her head up for a breath, then dives back under to grab Little. She's flailing all her limbs and letting all her air out, but Vicky manages to snag her teeth into the girl's shirt. She pulls up with all her might, and they break the surface together. Little tries to scream and cough at the same time. Vicky hefts Little's head a little higher above the surface as she lengthens her stride.

As Vicky's feet start to graze the ground, Newby and Lady run onto the edge of the water. "Cassie! Oh god, Cassie!" Lady yells as they both run towards the dog and the little girl. Lady pulls Little out of the water and holds her close. "Are you okay, baby? You hurt?"

Little cries into Lady's shirt but shakes her head no. "V-Vicky pulled me o-out of the water."

"She did, did she?" Newby says, crouching down so he's level with the dog. "Our girl's a hero, huh?" He scratches her behind the ear.

"Thank god you're alright," Lady sighs, resting her head on top of Little's. "It's a good thing Vicky was there, right? But she's not always going to be there. We should get you some swimming lessons."

"Yeah," Little mumbles, still hiccupping.

Lady passes the little girl to Newby, then lowers herself to Vicky's eye level. "Thank you, Vicky. I don't know how to repay you, but hopefully treats will do for now."

Vicky happily licks her face. She's not quite sure about the other words, but she got excited by the word "treats".


	7. Moving

Vicky happily sat next to the young girl, tail beating the ground. Little, or 'Cassie' like the other humans like to call her, is secretly passing bits of food to her friend under the table. It's a normal night in the Drake house. After dinner is finished, Cassie helps Newby (or 'Dad' to Cassie or 'Nate' to everyone else) and Lady (or 'Mom' to Cassie or 'Elena' to everyone else) clear the table. Only tonight, they call Cassie back to the table after washing the dishes. Vicky sits beside her.

"We have a big announcement to make," Dad/Nate says.

"Really?" Cassie gasps. "Are we getting a pony?"

"No," he chuckles. "It's bigger and more exciting than a pony."

Cassie frowns, wondering what could possibly be more exciting than a pony.

Mom/Elena sighs and says, "We're moving, darling."

"Moving?" Cassie asks. "What do you mean?"

"We're moving," Nate supplies. "You know, like moving houses. We're going to Florida."

"Florida? Like... the state?" she asks.

"Yeah, where else?" Elena laughs. "That's your dad and I are from. We'll be closer to Grandma, Grandpa, Sully, and Sam. Plus we'll be close to the beach."

"And Disney World," Nate adds.

"But... that's so far away." Cassie had been trying to decide how to take the news: with a smile or a pout. Pouting won. "What about my friends? What about the rock climbing wall? What about this house?"

"We can find a new climbing wall and a new house. And you can keep in touch with your friends," Elena says.

"But I don't want to! I want to live here!"

"Baby, it's okay. This is a good thing," Nate says, his smile falling. "Don't you want to see Sully and Sam more often? And go to Disney World?"

"Well, yeah, but..." She sighs and drops her head into her hands. "I don't want to go!"

"Hey, this is happy news," Elena says, concerned. She gets out of her chair to console the little girl, but Cassie pushes away from the table.

"No, it's not!" She jumps up and takes off for the stairs.

Vicky doesn't exactly understand the words exchanged, but she can tell there's something wrong. She runs up the stairs after Cassie, managing to slip into the room before she slams the door.

Cassie collapses on her bed, face buried in her pillow. Vicky puts her front paws up on the bed and nuzzles Cassie's side with her nose.

The little girl turns her head to peer at the dog through her tears. "Go away, Vicky. I want to be alone."

Vicky cocks her head. "Go away? Why does she want me to go away?" she thinks to herself. "She clearly needs me to make her feel better." Vicky drops down onto all fours and pads her way around to the other side of the bed. She hops up and walks in a circle three times before settling into her usual spot.

Cassie stills slightly when Vicky presses up against her. "Vicky, I said go away!"

Vicky doesn't move except to perk her ears at the sound of the door opening.

"Now, that's no way to speak to anybody, young lady," scolds Nate, Elena trailing behind. "Please apologize."

"Sorry Vicky," she mumbles.

Elena sits on the edge of the bed and reaches over to tuck a lock of hair behind her daughter's ear. "It's okay to be upset, baby. Moving to a new place can be scary. But you'll be with us and Vicky, not to mention the rest of our family. It's okay."

Vicky rests her head on Cassie's shoulder, pressing her wet nose onto the young girl's cheek. "I just..." she sniffles, "I just need some time alone."

Elena and Nate trade a look and come to a silent conclusion. "Okay, darling. We'll give you some space," Nate says. "Come on, Vicky. We'll check on her later."

The dog whines, not wanting to leave her friend alone in a time of need.

"Come on, girl."

Vicky snorts and leaps off the bed to follow the older humans out the door. Nate scratches her behind the ears as they make their way into their bedroom. "Did you hear what she said?" he asks, rubbing Vicky's head in a way that makes her fur stick up in all directions. She loves it when he does that.

"Yeah..." Elena sighs. "'I just need to be alone.' She's only eight, but she sounds like she's fourteen."

"That's probably the Drake in her. We tend to act older than we are. And we're stubborn, too. So stubborn."

"Eh, I don't know. Fishers aren't much better."

They stare at each other for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "Oh god," Nate snickers, covering his mouth. "What have we done?"

"What have we brought onto this earth?" Elena giggles.

"A Drake-Fisher hybrid?"

"What were we thinking?"

"We weren't thinking." Nate takes his hands out of Vicky's fur and scoots over to grab his mate's hand. He leans in, pressing his lips to her neck. "We really weren't thinking."

Vicky huffs, upset she's no longer the center of attention. She presses herself between the two lip-locked humans, trying to win more pats or ruffles.

Elena breaks off first, glancing down at the dog. "Vicky, we love you honey, but could you give us some privacy please?"

"Go on, girly," Nate says. "I'll come check on you before bed."

Vicky's tail droops. She knows what that means. This has happened before. The two of them have that smell about them when they're about to hump. She trots out of the room and hops up onto the couch in the central room. Normally she sleeps with Cassie, but she doesn't want her there. She curls up and rests her head on her front paws.

Nate keeps his promise and checks in on his dog later that night. "Night girly. Sorry we left you alone. I'll make up for it tomorrow. Promise."

Her tail wags as he runs a hand over her head. He chuckles as she reaches up to lick his face.

"We're going to start packing tomorrow, so get some rest. Love you."

Minutes later, Vicky's asleep. It's not as comfortable on the couch without the constant warmth of Cassie. Or her scent. The very scent that was crossing her nose at the moment.

Vicky lifts her head and draws a deep breath filled with... Cassie. She hops off the couch and follows the scent until it grows stronger. Her claws clack on the hard wood floor and the small figure standing in the kitchen turns to face the dog. "Oh god, you scared me!" she whisper yells. "What are you doing up?"

The dog cocks her head to the side. Why is Cassie awake? And why is she carrying the big bag she takes with her when she disappears for the day? It's night and neither Nate or Elena are here to drive her there. Where's she going?

Cassie shakes her head and grabs some human food from the big, cold thing. "Whatever. I'm leaving before they make me leave."

She hikes her bag a little higher on her shoulder, then heads for the door. Vicky springs into action, reaching the door before she can. "Vicky, move."

Vicky chuffs and stands her ground. She's not letting the little one go out all on her own.

"Oh, for crying out loud..." Cassie reaches over Vicky to reach for the door handle, but Vicky presses herself against the girl's leg forcing her to take a step back. "Vicky, quit it! Let me go!"

Ever since she was brought to this house, Vicky was told not to bark. Her barking woke the humans in the middle of the night, scared Cassie's friends, and terrified the strange man that wandered onto their property with packages daily (she still growls deeply every time she sees him). She doesn't bark unless she has a good reason to, because she knows she's going to get in trouble.

Cassie tries to push past her once more, but Vicky doesn't budge. "Vicky, if you don't move, I will-"

"WOOF!!!"

The girl jumps in shock, then quickly goes to shush the dog. "Shhh! Vicky, you'll wake Mom and Dad!" she whispers.

"WOOF WOOF!!!"

"No, no, no, please! Please stop!"

"WOOF!!!"

"Vicky-"

"WOOF WOOF-"

"What is all this racket about?" Nate mumbles, rubbing his eyes in the kitchen threshold. "Cass? Vicky?"

"It's... Dad, it's not what it looks like..." Cassie stumbles over her words, fear clear in her eyes.

"What...? Why was Vicky barking? She knows not to bark in the house."

"Well, I..."

Nate's eyes narrow as the picture comes into focus. "Cass, why do you have your backpack on?"

"I-"

"And your jacket? Your shoes? Where are you headed at this time of night, honey?"

"I was just... going to take Vicky for a walk."

"A walk?" Nate sighs and pinches his nose. "You weren't... trying to run away, were you?"

"No." Cassie's gaze lifts cautiously to meet her father's. "You're not... mad... are you?"

"No. I'm never mad at you. I'm actually kind of scared. Were you really planning on leaving us?"

Cassie's lip wobbles, and she shrugs.

"Baby..." He kneels get closer to his little girl and takes her hand into his. "Darling... Your mother and I love you very much. More than anything. We would never do anything to hurt you. Moving is not the end of the world. Think of it as the beginning of the new adventure. It's going to be okay. In fact, it's going to be better than okay. It's gonna be awesome! It's gonna to be better than awesome. It's gonna be off the chain!"

Cassie huffs a laugh at her father's idiocy. She's not exactly sure what that means, but her mom says it all the time.

"See? You're already smiling. It's already working."

"But..." Cassie starts. "I... I don't know..." She sighs, frustrated by her inability to describe what she's feeling.

"You're not alone," Nate says. "We're in this together, alright? We're a family. It's what we do."

Cassie sniffles softly and buries herself in her father's arms. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"It's okay to be scared, baby." He rests his chin on her shoulder. "I love you, Cass."

"I love you, too."

Vicky sticks her nose in between the two, looking for attention. They both laugh and quickly include her in their embrace. She loves her family.


	8. Dog-Sitting

"Dad, you're just here for a week. Please don't get on Sully's-"

"I won't, sweetie. I promise."

"Okay, because last time you were together-"

"I know, I know. It won't happen this time."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay... Love you."

"Love you too, 'Lena."

"Elena! Come on, we're gonna be late!" Nate calls from the car.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming. Bye, Vicky. Have fun."

Vicky snorts and rubs her head against Elena's leg. Nate, Elena, and Cassie are heading out for a while apparently. Sully (Oldy) and a man who smells faintly like Elena are going to watch over her while they're gone. She watches the car pull out internally sighing when they're out of view. With her usual demeanor dampened, she pads back into the central room where the two older humans were sitting in silence watching the flickering screen. Vicky hops up in between them and rests her head on Sully's lap.

"She seems to know you fairly well," the new comer mentions.

"Yeah. I, uh, visit often."

"Ah."

Silence.

"So, uh... You're a Met's fan?" the semi-stranger asks.

"Nah, I'm more of a Reds guy myself."

"Cincinnati?"

"Yeah."

"Hm."

"What about you?"

"I'm more partial to the Indians myself."

"Ah. Cleveland."

"Yeah. My father was a big fan. Kind of had to be an Indians fan."

"My dad was the same way. 'You're either Red or you're dead', he used to say."

"Heh, yeah."

"Yup."

Silence. Vicky yawns and shifts her head.

"You tired, girly?" Sully asks, running a hand over her back.

She looks up at him, then returns her head to his lap.

"I'll take that as a yes. Come on, let's get you to bed so my leg doesn't fall asleep."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, the men sit in more silence at the table. They sip their coffee and avoid each other's gaze.

New Newby clears his throat and asks, "Do you know where they keep the sugar? The coffee's a bit too bitter for me."

"Oh, it's in the cupboard on the left of the stove."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

The conversation pauses as he sweetens his coffee. "I can't drink it black," he says. "How do you do that?"

"I used to be in the Navy. Force of habit now, I guess."

"I didn't know you were a military man."

"Eh, not really. I was only enlisted for a few years before getting kicked out."

"Oh. May I ask why?"

"I might have had my hands in some not so legal business. You know how it is when you're young. Thought it was all fun and games."

"Mm. Was Nathan ever in the service?"

"No. Doesn't like taking orders."

"Was he ever in the... not so legal business?"

Vicky senses the change in tone as Sully tenses. "What's it to you? He's doing everything in accordance to the law. He used to hang with a rough crowd, but that's because he used to literally live on the street."

"I'm not trying to instigate, Mr. Sullivan. I'm just asking-"

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm just..." He takes a deep breath in and lets it out. Vicky nuzzles his hand with her nose, and he reaches down to scratch her behind the ears. "I get a bit... defensive when it comes to Nate. I'm sure you get the same way about your daughter."

"Yeah, yeah, I understand. It's funny how kids can do that. Turn the world upside down, yet at the same time bring the world into such sharp focus."

"Hm. That's a good way of putting it." Sully pauses for a moment. "We've got to take Vicky for a walk soon. Do you want to make a cigar stop on the way back?"

"Sure. But you should know that I'm not a big smoker. The wife won't have it."

"Oh, come on. One won't hurt. I'll help you pick out something nice."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vicky tracks the bright tennis ball with her eyes, never letting it out of her sight. As soon as it leaves Sully's hand, she takes off to catch it. The men laugh as she sprints back to give it back for someone to throw again.

"Good girl," Sully praises, patting her side. He turns to New Newby and holds out the ball. "Wanna toss it?"

"Sure. It's been a while," he says, accepting the offering. "Didn't ever toss the ball around with Elena."

Vicky runs off to retrieve her ball, then returns mid-conversation.

"...ballet lessons. She was on the tennis team for a while, but the school paper got in the way."

"Yeah, Nate never had any..."

Ball. Return.

"...a kid, fourteen or fifteen years old. No home, nothing to his name..."

Ball. Return.

"...too young. Poor kid."

"Yeah, he took some getting used..."

Ball. Return.

"...a kid of his own."

"Crazy, isn't it? One moment they're getting their driver's license, the next they're..."

Ball. Return.

"...sometimes I miss those days, other times... not so much."

"Yeah, I can't tell you how many heart attacks that boy..."

Ball. Slower on the return.

"...lucky. Girls are easier than boys."

"Ha, that's the truth. I mean sure, you have the boyfriends and the..."

Ball. Even slower return.

They're both laughing when she returns. She pants and stretches after she drops the ball at their feet. "Looks like we wore you out," Sully chuckles, patting her head. "Let's get you back inside. It's too goddamn hot out here."

"Yeah, you said it. I could go for a beer," New Newby says. "What about you, Mr. Sullivan? Beer?"

"Sure. And you can call me Victor. Mr. Sullivan is a little too formal for me."

"Alright. You can call me Bill, by the way." He reaches into the cold food place and pulls out two bottles of the stuff Nate never lets her have. "Victor, huh? Any relation to Vicky?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. She's Nate's dog, so don't take offense-"

"I'm not offended," he waves Sully off as they make their way into the central room. "Can't turn Bill into a girl's name anyway." They both take a seat on the couch, and Vicky assumes the position she took last night. "She seems to be fond of you," he continues.

"Yeah, I drop by whenever I can, so she knows me pretty well. She's only seen you a couple times before now, but I know you have work so you can't exactly-"

"Oh, no, I was talking about Elena," he clarifies with a smile. "Although the dog does seem to be rather partial to you."

"Oh, Elena? I guess you could say we're close. Can't get close to Nate without getting close to me."

"Ah. I see."

Silence.

"Nate, uh... doesn't have any parents."

Sully glances over at the man, legs tensing slightly under Vicky's head. "No. No parents."

"So one could say... you're a... surrogate father."

Sully pauses for a second, then let's the words out slowly. "One could say that.

"So that makes you... Elena's father-in-law."

"...Yes."

"Okay." New Newby takes a breath. "I'm going to give you the same warning I gave your son on their wedding day. If you hurt my daughter... if you drag her into a situation where she could get hurt... if you so much as look at her the wrong way... I will come after you. I know this may not be all that threatening coming from a guy like me to a guy with your background, but I stand my ground when it comes to my girl. Do you understand?"

They meet eyes seriously for a few seconds before Sully answers with, "I understand. As long as you understand that the same goes for me and my boy."

The man nods, neither of them breaking eye contact. "Understood."

After a few more seconds, they both relax and pick up their beers. They refocus their attention on the flickering screen.

"Have you seen the Giants play? They're a thing of beauty this year."

"Eh, I don't know. The Pirates are looking pretty good this year, too."

"Nah, they're just sitting pretty right now. Wait until they get some real competition. They'll crumble."

"The same could be said for your Giants..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vicky stands on high alert as she hears car doors slamming outside. The sound of her family's voices are getting closer and closer to the door. She whines in anticipation, ears perked for the sound of the handle being manipulated.

She literally springs into action when the door opens. She forces herself through the crack in between the door and door frame as soon as it's wide enough for her.

"Vicky!" Cassie shouts, kneeling down to give her dog a huge hug. "I missed you so much."

The dog cannot seem to stand still, even when Cassie has her hands around her neck. She squirms around, tail wagging furiously. She switches between rubbing her humans with her head and covering them with kisses.

Once Vicky calms down a bit, the four make their way through the door to find the central room empty. "Hm. I honestly expected to find them where I left them," Elena mutters to her mate.

Nate snorts, and they go off in search of the older men. Cassie runs to grab the tennis ball then makes a mad dash out into the yard. Vicky is hot on her heels. If they would have looked, they would have seen the two old men lounging on the porch with a beer in one hand and a cigar in the other, gazing out over the ocean. Just beyond the back door stood their children (both biological and adopted) staring in disbelief at the scene in front of them.


	9. All Grown Up

"Jesus, Nathan. Take it easy on the brakes," Sam grumbles. He was taking a nap in the back seat but was jerked awake by his brother's driving.

Vicky lifts her head just enough to reposition her head. She yawns and goes back to resting on Sully's leg. "I hear you, girly," Sully says, running a hand over her head.

"We're almost there, guys," Elena says from the front, stretching her arms over her head. "Please try to put on a smile for her. I know it's been a long trip, but-"

"You don't have to worry about that, darling," Sully assures her. "You know we're good with Cassie."

"Good, 'cause here we are," Nate says, pulling the car to a stop. "End of the line. We've got to walk the rest of the way."

"It's just up this hill," Elena says, stepping out of the car.

"Alright, alright," Sam grumbles, following suit. He turn around and motions for Vicky to join him. "Come on, girly. Let's go see Cassie."

At the mention of Cassie, Vicky perks up and makes her way out of the vehicle. About a month ago, Cassie left with her father on a trip and never returned. She sat by the door until Nate and Elena put her to bed. It might have something to do with the fact that she's getting older, but her usual playful mood has been dampened ever since her best friend went away.

The five of them walk for awhile before Elena looks at her tiny, flickering screen and says, "Cassie said this was the spot. She'll be here soon."

Vicky's tail wags at yet another name drop. Why are they teasing her like this?

"Are we getting food once she gets here? I'm starved," Sam says.

"I second that," Sully agrees.

"Yes, yes, we can eat. Let's not fight over where we're eating, though," Elena warns. "We're here for my daughter, not to see who can muscle the other out of their opinion."

"Victor and I don't always fi-" Sam starts.

"Yes, you do," Nate and Elena are quick to interrupt.

Sam says something in retaliation, but Vicky doesn't hear it. The scent fills her nostrils, and she whips around to spot its source. The dog spies a figure in the distance. The figure takes a few more steps toward their little group, and Vicky takes off running. She's sure she knows who it is. The figure sees the dog sprinting towards her and crouches down in anticipation.

Cassie laughs as Vicky barrels into her arms. "Hey, girl!" she coos as Vicky covers her face in slobber. "Oh, I missed you so much."

Vicky barks in agreement, making Cassie laugh even harder.

"Come on, let's go see the rest of the family."

Cassie leads Vicky the rest of the way, stopping twice to give her dog another hug. She greets her family with hugs and kisses. Vicky stays glued to her side, rubbing her head against her legs. After saying hi to everyone, Cassie bends down to tend to Vicky again.

"Ya know, I can't help but feeling that you're more happy to see the dog than you are your own parents," Nate says as his daughter straightens up.

"Did you sprint down the road to see me? No," Cassie responds. "She seems more excited to see me than you are."

"She's a dog."

"She's also 77 years old. In dog years," she adds to address the looks she's receiving.

"Well, I can lick you if you want, but I thought that would be weird," Sully says.

Cassie rolls her eyes then presses another kiss to the top of Vicky's head. "You guys wanna eat? I'm hungry," she says as she straightens up.

"Sounds like a great idea, sweetheart," Elena says, putting an arm around Cassie's shoulders.

"Awesome! I know this little French cafe down the street that makes really good pastries. They even have doggy cupcakes!"

"Look at you," Elena murmurs as they start walking again. "My baby girl, all grown up."

"That does beg the question: how's the first month of college been treating you?" Nate asks.

"Well, it's pretty awesome so far..."


End file.
